PIN-UPS FOR VETS CALENDAR

Gina Elise has used her brains-and-beauty combination for years to benefit hospitalized Veterans across America.

Elise is the founder of Pin-ups For Vets, an Upland-based, award-winning nonprofit organization that has recently released its annual fundraising 1940s-style pin-up calendar featuring the brunette beauty in many local settings.

“I grew up in the Inland Empire and have found many unique places — places one normally wouldn’t think of for a pin-up calendar,” said Elise, who produced the first calendar in the series in 2007. “I grew up here and like staying true to my roots.”

The 2014 calendar includes such locales as Ontario’s O.S. Ensign House; Montclair’s Pomona Valley Harley Davidson; Claremont’s Robert Michael Salon, Eddie’s Pizzeria and Eatery, Yum Yum Donuts and The American Clock Company; Rancho Cucamonga’s Christmas House Inn and Bellasposa One-Stop Wedding Center; and in Upland both Hubcap Annie and Victory Girl, a nose art studio based at Cable Airport.

Elise works hard to bring new elements to the calender each year. Featured in the 2014 edition are veterans from all branches of the military some who are dealing with amputation, PTSD, burns and traumatic brain injury. Also, for the first time, she is spotlighting two female veterans as models, Kelli Serio and Mylee YC.

According to Elise, Serio served four years in the Navy including two deployments to the Persian Gulf. She was a Petty Officer 3rd Class on the USS Ronald Reagan.

YC has been an active duty soldier for more than 11 years. Her duties have included civil affairs specialist and an instructor preparing initial entry soldiers for the mental and physical expectations of their service.

In 2011, YC was selected to be one of the first women to train and deploy as part of the Army Special Operations Cultural Support Program, Elise said.

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During her deployment, YC enabled U.S. Special Operations Teams to gain cultural insight, gather information on enemy activities and help promote governance for Afghan families. YC supported special operations units in remote parts of Afghanistan. It was during this deployment that she discovered a mass in her left breast. She made the decision to continue her tour while keeping a close eye on the lump. Upon returning in March of 2012, she underwent an ultrasound, which led to a surgical consult and a diagnosis of Stage III breast cancer.

During the past year YC has been through chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy, a partial hysterectomy and radiation.

Upon completing her military commitment she hopes to work as a trainer/coach helping others realize the benefits of living a healthy and fit lifestyle.

Other firsts inside the new calender include group shots; one of the organization’s volunteers; another of male veterans surrounding Elise.

Elise and volunteer calendar girls, which now includes Mylee, have been touring veterans hospitals handing out calendars and cheering up patients.

It’s been Elise’s goal to visit at least one VA hospital in all 50 states.

“We just reached a huge milestone with the organization,” she said. “We just visited a VA hospital in the 25th state on our 50-state tour. We have visited over 5,000 hospitalized veterans at their bedsides in 41 VA and military hospitals across the U.S.”

Pin-ups For Vets has also hosted events to support homeless veterans, military spouses, and female Vets entering the civilian workplace. The organization also has shipped hundreds of care packages to deployed troops across the globe.

“Our inspiration was the 1940s pin-up girls who boosted morale for the WWII soldiers fighting overseas,” Elise said. “I just think that our veterans and troops need our support; some that are in hospitals will need our support for the rest of their lives and we have to be there for them.”